Movable partition



Aug. 2, 1960 A. c. IMBRECHT MOVABLE PARTITION INVENTOR.

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BY ma r gan "I l/ Filed June 25, 1958 Aug. 2, 1960 A. cs. IMBRECHT MOVABLE PARTITION 3 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed June 23, 1958 IN VEN TOR. Apr/10E 6 ,II MQQECHZ Amnue3 Filed June 23, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ART/1'09 G. G

INVENTOR.

united St e ea- MOVABLE PARTITION Arthur G. Imbrecht, 934s Nichols St., hellflower, Calif.

Filed June 23, 1958, set. No. 743,511

I 1 Claim. 01. 20-4 The present invention relates to a movable partition adapted for temporary installation between a floor surface and a'ceiling surface of a building, which provides a rigid soundproof structure when in place but .which can be quickly and conveniently installed and removed without damage to the floor and ceiling surfaces. The architectural design of modern ofiice buildings,

restaurants and other commercial establishments must to some extent be based upon considerations involved in providing permanent support for the structure. Thus, where a building includes two or more separate floors it is a matter of necessity to design the lower part of the structure not only with a view toward'its own usefulness but also in such a way-as to provide the necessary permanent support for the upper part of the structure. It has been common practice for decades to install partitions as a permanent part of commercial buildings,

nationof relatively large and relatively small groups all' at the same time. Furthermore, the allocation of space mustbechanged'from day to day and may often have,

to be changed upon advance notice of only a few hours i or'even a few minutes. i

In'both the industrial corporation and the large restaurant as mentioned above the physical characteristics of, permanent wall partitions maketheir utilization desirable. The difficulty is simply that permanent partitions cannot be modified or moved either quickly or economically. Temporary partitions which have heretofore been available have had unsatisfactory characteristics and, for that reason, have not beenextensively used. If a temporary partition is to be accepted on an extensive scale as a satisfactory substitute for a permanent partition itmust meet the following requirements. A temporary partition must be of very light weight in order to facilitate its installation and removal, and also the'handling attendant upon its storage when not: muse.

A temporary partition must be capable of'being in stalled, used for whatever period of time may be de-- sired, and subsequently removed, all without doing any damage to the floor surface or ceiling surface of the building. i

A temporary partition, substitute for a permanent partition, must look like a permanent partition. It-must appear to the eye to be a substantial structure, and it must possess" a decorative finish having good wearing qualities equivalent to those off the exposedsurface of a permanent partition wall.

and this practice hasextended much further than is absolutely required for the port to the portions of the structure extending above the partitions. The idea of constructing a buildingin which permanent partitions are fully provided throughout is a very old idea. In fact, the practice is so well established that the mind of the average person rebels at the thought of constructing a large building devoid of permanent partitions. Nevertheless the presentinvention is based upon a recognition of the fact that this purpose of providing sup historic practice is to a large extent erroneous, at least when viewed in accordance with the ments of the present day.

Large industrial corporations frequently occupy huge ofiice buildings whichinclude thousands of square feet of floor space. Portions of the facilities are used for oflices, laboratories, stock rooms and various other purposes as required from time to time. The industrial organization itself is not a fixed and unchanging thing. Over periods of months and years the only permanent needs and requirecharacteristic which it exhibits is a state of dynamic instability. which 'causes'the organization, either when viewed as a single entity or as a group of separate entities, to change continuouslyv from onemodeof operation to another. ,The floor space which today provvides a set of offices may tomorrow beutilized for research laboratories, and soon thereafter be converted to-some other and unrelated purpose. Permanent partitions in such buildings are characterized uniformly by one-thing no matter how thefloor space-is being utilized at a particular time not one of the the right place. t p

, Also, large restaurants have need for the maximum degree of flexibility in the arrangement of their floor space. A dining room adapted to accommodate 500 partitions is in exactly e0 le cannot alwa s or even often be utilized for that p p y permanent partttlon wall. The present invention, howtea q gr up H Per he -a sq tb Also, in' order to look like a permanent partition the temporary partition must extend all the Way from the floor-"to the ceiling, without leaving any visible cracks or openings. 1

A temporary partition, if it is to be a satisfactory substitute for a permanentpartition, must temporarily serve. as a rigid part of the structure of the building. People may wish to lean against the partition thinking it is of the permanent wall type, and they must not be disillusioned The partition must have suflicient strength to carry,- without damage, these and other loads to which it may be subjected. Also, a temporary partition must be sufiiciently well anchored so that it cannot be dislodged'as'a result of shock or impact.

Atemporary partition, if it is to be a satisfactory substitute for a permanent partition, must provide good acoustic insulation. A sound which is generated on oneside of the partition wall should be attenuated very substantially in passing through the wall. In accordance with present day standards this attenuation should be of the order of 30 decibles or greater.

- A temporary partition must be capable of being installed and used in any desired location. The use of an overhead track or the like to support a temporary partition consisting of a series of sliding doors is not only awkward and unsightly, but has an additional disadvantage of inflexibility, inasmuch as the temporary partition can be cation.

A temporary partition must, in order to be adopted for extensive use, have a low'initial cost and a long usefullife.

It appears impossible to meet simultaneously all of the above mentioned requirements for a temporary partition capable of being satisfactorily used in lieu of a ever, accomplishes just exactly that.

L It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a movable partition adapted to be temporarily installed in a buildingbetween the floor surface and ceil- 1 PaitentedAug. 2,1960

if it is to be a satisfactory installed only in a single predetermined lo- 3 ing surface thereof and which has all of the desirable characteristics of a permanent partition wall.

Another object of the invention is to provide a movable partition of the above type which can be used without causing any damage whatsoever to the building.

Still another object of the invention is to provide .a movablepartition of the above type whichis very light in weight and can be quickly and easily installed or removed by one man without using special equipment.

' The above and other objects of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description in conjunction with theaccoinpanying drawing, in which; Figure 1 is aperspcctiveview of a movable partition as provided by the present invention which has been temporarily installed in a building, and which includes several separate partition sections;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the movable partition of Figure 1 illustrating the manner of its connection to the floor and ceiling of the building;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of one section of the movable partition of Figure 1',

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the movable partition of Figure 1 illustrating the mannerof its connectionto a permanent wall of the building;

Figure 5 is an elevational cross-sectional view of one section of the movable partition of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of an alternative arrangement of the movable partition provided bythe present invention; 7

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of partition section provided by the present invention; and.

Figure 8 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the partition section of Figure 7. v

Before referring specifically to the drawings it will be helpful to state the basic concept of the invention. The movable partition of the present invention includes a number of separate partition sections, each of which has two parts, one providing a vertical extension of the other.. An expansible apparatus is positioned between the two parts of the partition section. The normal vertical height of the partition section when not in use is somewhat less than. the vertical distance between the floor and ceiling of the building in which it is intended to be installed. After the partition section has been placed in position the expansible apparatus is caused to expand, and the two parts of the partition section then move away from each other and tightly engage the floor surface and the ceiling surface simultaneously. The upper and, lower ends of the partition section are provided with relatively soft-surface materials which will not cause any damage to the fioor or ceiling of the building, but which at the same time provide frictional engagement such that the partition section is firmly anchored. in position.

It is significant to point out, certain advantages which the present invention has over the conventional slidingdoor type of movable partition. There is always some irregularity in floor and. ceiling surfaces. and hence the: vertical distance between 11001: and ceiling varies somewhat between various parts of a room or building. With the sliding-door partition each door must be short enough to slide past all of the floor surface between the twoalternative positions thedoor occupies. It is therefore. inevitable that some space exists between the sliding door and the floor surface, which is not only unsightly but also permits noise to pass freely through the movable partition. This difficulty is obviated by the present invention.

Reference. is now made to Figures 1-5 of the drawings. which illustrate a presently preferred embodiment, of my invention. Movable partition A is illustrated as resting upon floor surface B of a building and extending vertically upward where it contacts ceiling surface C. One end' of movable partition A, also adjoins a pennanent.partition D' of the building. 7

' Movable partition A includes a plurality oflongitudi- 1 4. nally aligned sections 10a, 10b, all of which are preferably identical.' The general form of each partition section will now be described.

Each partition section includes a rectangular panel member having first and second vertical edges, a top edge and a bottom edge, and having in its top edge an upwardly opening trough extending over most of its length. An elongated inflatable-tube is disposed along the bottom of the trough. A beam member disposed parallel to the top edge of the panel member has a downwardly extending portion which extends within the trough and rests upon the surface of the inflatable tube. When the tube is inflated the beam member rises vertically a sufficient distance to clamp tightly against the ceiling surface. A pair of molding strips appended to opposite sides of the beam member conceal the mechanism from view.

Although many alternative forms of construction of the partition section are possible, section 10a illustrated in Figures 1-5 of the drawings is actually constructed as follows. A honeycomb structure 1111 provides the basic parti'of the panel member 11. The honeycomb structure is made of a high-strength low-weight structural materialv which is also characterized by a high degree of sound, attenuation. Although other materials may be used it is preferred'to utilize paper which has been impregnated with a phenolic resin. A satisfactory material of this nature, for example, iss old commercially by Douglas Aircraft Company under the trade name Aircomb. The honeycomb structure is completely surrounded by relatively thin sections of wood including vertical side panels 12 and 13, horizontal bottom strip 14, horizontal top strip 15, and vertical side strips 16, 17. Vertical side panels 12 and 13 completely cover the sides of the panel includinghorizontal strips 14, 15 and vertical strips 16, 17,. Side panels 12 and 13 are finished in a suitable manner so as to present a pleasing appearance to the eye.

1 Panel member 11 has a vertical groove 17a extending. thefull length of the exposed surface of side strip 17. on the other vertical edge of the panel member the side strip 16 hasv a. vertically extending tongue portion formed thereon. A packing strip 31 of felt or other suitable soft material is placed between tongue portion 16a of section. 10a andthe associated groove of the ad joining partition section 10b, in order to provide a convenient method of fastening adjoining partition sections together without loss of sound insulation capability.

Panel member 11 also includes a bottom pad 14a extending along the lower surface of bottom strip 14. Al thoughv pad 14a is illustrated as being supported in a groove: formed in the surface of bottom strip 14, it is actually preferred to use a fiat strip of felt or other soft material which is glued or otherwise fastened to the fiat under surface of bottom strip 14. Panel member 11 further includes ahorizontally extending trough 15a formed in: top strip 15, the use of which will be hereinafter explained.

Partition section 10a also includes an elongated beam member 25 which extends across the top edge of panel member 11. Beam 25 includes as its basic structural element a T-shapedchannel member 26 which is preferably formed of sheet material such as aluminum. While a solid T-shapedmember. could be used it is preferred that the vertical stem of the T be hollow, that is, that it consist of sheet metal having a U-shaped cross section, The advantage of the hollow member is a very substantial saving in weight with little sacrifice of structural strength. Another way of describing supporting member 26 is that it consists of an elongated strip of sheet metal bent in such a way as to provide a cross section in theform of a U having also. a pair of. horizontally extending flanges at the upper ends of the U.

Beam 25 also includes a top pad 29 which rests upon the upper surfaces of T=shaped channel member 26. Top pad 29 is preferably made of felt or other suitable soft material capable of frictionally engaging a ceiling surface without causing damage thereto. T-shaped member 26overhangs both of the side panels 12 and 13 of panel member 11 and also extends outwardly beyond them. A pair of molding strips 27, 28 extend horizontally along the upper surface portions of side panels 12 and 13, respectively. Molding strips 27, 28 are rigidly fastened to T-shaped member 26 and are supported thereby so as to be vertically movable with respect to panel member 11. The fastening-of molding strips 27, 28 is accomplished by means of screws 27a, 28a or other suitable means.

An elongated inflatable. tube 20 is disposed along'the bottom of trough 15a.: The vertical stem portion of T- shaped channel member 26 extends downwardly within trough l5a and has its under surface resting upon the upper surface of inflatable tube 20. When tube 20 is inflated, beam member 25 is caused to rise vertically with respect to panel member 11. i After the partition section hasbeen placed in position its normal vertical height when tube 20 is deflated is Y somewhat less'than the vertical distance between floor and ceiling. When tube 20 is inflated, beam member 25 f'inoves vertically upward a sufficient distance to tightly engage the ceiling surface and produce a clamping or locking action so that the partition sectionis firmly anchored between floor and ceiling,

A slant hole 18 is provided in panel member'll which communicates at its upper end with the approximate longitudinal center of trough 15a and at its lower end with a point in vertical tongue portion 16a which is within easy reach of floor surface B. A slant tube 21 which is actually formed integrally with tube 20 extends downwardly from approximately the longitudinal center thereof and occupies slant hole-18. Slant tube 21 has on its exposed lower enda valve 22 which is-readily acces: sible through the Iopen end of slant h'ole 18. A convenient method of inflating tube 26 is illustrated in Figure 5 where a container 34 filled with compressed air is applied to valve 22 for pressurizing and inflating tube 20.

As shown in Figure 5 top strip 15 extends the full width of honeycomb structure 11a and is'enclosed on its two ends by side strips 16,17. "Trough 15a extends almost the full length of top strip 15 but is formed with rounded end portions so that its depthdecreases to zero at the two ends of top strip 15. T-shaped channel member 26 is fastened to top strip 15 in such a way that beam member 25 remains permanently attached to panel member 11 but is vertically slidable With respect thereto. More specifically, T-shaped channel member 26 on one vertical side of its downwardly depending stem portion has -vertical openings or slots 26a, 26b, respectively located near the opposite ends of the trough. Stops 15c and 15d which are permanently fastened to the sides of trough 15a engagevertical slots 26a and 26b, respectively.

In the preferred form of my invention as illustrated in Figures 1-5 I prefer to use high-quality butyl rubber for inflatable tube 20 and its associated connecting tube 21. It then becomes possible to inflate the tube to a pressure level of approximately twenty-pounds per square inch and the partition section will remain firmly anchored for weeks or months before suflicient pressure loss has occurred to require re-inflation of the tube. In semipermanent installations it is preferred to install a ratchet device in conjunction with the inflatable tube for maintaining the elevation of the beam.

-It will be seen that molding strips 27, 28 serve the purpose of concealing the beam structure and its associated expansible mechanism. Also, the exposed end of slant hole 18, and valve 22, are so positioned (as part of tongue portion 16a) that their presence is concealed by the ad joining partition section. As each partition section is installed its tube is inflated, clamping action is achieved,

and the subsequent positioning of the adjoining partition section covers up all parts of the working mechanism which would otherwise be exposed. I

A significant advantage of my invention is that a 4 ft. by 8 ft. partition section constructed in accordance with Figures 1-5 weighs less than pounds, and may be quickly installed by one man without the use of special tools. a Figure 6 of the drawings illustrates the manner in which my novel partition sections may be utilized to provide two partition walls which intersect at an angle. It also illustrates how a door may be utilized in conjunction with my novel movable partition.

More specifically,'Figure 6 illustrates a partition section 10d which engages a corner post 41 to which another partition section !10e is also connected. Corner post 41 is a square post having a tongue portion on one of its surfaces and avertical groove formed in an adjacent surface. Partition sections 10d and '10e engage the tongue portion and groove, respectively, of the corner post and are hence positioned at a right angle to each other. It would, of course, be possible to have a corner post provided with a tongue portion and a groove disposed at some dilferent angle with respect to each other, for example, 120 degrees, and in that event the two partition walls. would likewise be positioned at 120 degrees with respect to each other. It will be noted that it is not necessary for corner post 41 to be clamped between floor and ceiling by means of its own separate expansion mechanism, since it is securely locked in position by virtue of the fixed positionsof partition sections 10d and 10e.

V Figure 6 also illustrates a door 44 having a door knob 45 which is positioned between partition sections 10c and 10 One end of partition section 10 is provided with a suitable casing strip 43 upon which the door hinges are supportedv and one fvertical edge of partition section 10s is provided with a suitable casing strip 42 againstwhich the door closes. It will be seen that my novel partition structures may readily be provided with any desired type of door, just like conventional permanent partitions,

Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings illustrate a modified form of'partition section in accordance withmy invention. Push button controls for inflating or deflating the tube are provided on an exposed surface of the panel member. More specifically, a valve mechanism 58 is positioned within'the panel'memberv and is connected to the downward .end of extension tube 21. A'bottle 56 or other container for compressed air is also permanently positioned inside the panel member and is connected to valve mechanism 58 by means of a connecting tube 57. A first push button '51 associated with valve mechanism 58 protrudes throughtthe surface of the panel memher and is operable upon being depressed to permit compressed air in container 56 to be delievered through the valve mechanism to inflatable tube 20. A second push button 52 associated with valve mechanism 58 likewise protrudes through the surface of the panel member, and is operable to deflate tube 20 by releasing compressed air or gas from extension tube 21 through valve mechanism 58, and thence through a release tube 60 to a release vent 53. A removable cover plate 54 providing a part of the panel surface is normally fastened to the panel by means of screws 54a, 54b and permits removal and refilling of container 56.

Although the push buttons 'areillustrated on the front surface of the panel member it is actually preferred to so modify the mechanism that they are located on vertical edge 16 thereof.

Figure 7 of the drawings also illustrates the manner in which electrical circuits are incorporated into the movable partitions provided by my invention. Thus a radio antenna circuit includes a cable extending horizontal ly "between opposing vertical edges of the partition section, the cable being also connected to an;outlet box 66 forming a part of the partition section andtol which an antenna circuit 67 may be connectedby conventional plug-type connection or other suitable means. In similar fashion an electrical power cable 70 extending between opposite vertical edges of the partition section 'is connected to an electrical outlet 71 mounted in the partition wall. Each of the cables is provided with suitable connections at the vertical edges of the partition sectionso that it will automatically be connected to a similar cable in the adjoining partition section as the partition sections are assembled to form the completed partition.

Various modifications are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention. For example, beam member 25 could rest upon the floor and the expansible apparatus could be utilized for raising the panel member 11 to engage the ceiling surface. Also,

instead of having a large panel member and a small beam member which together make up the verticalheig'ht of the partition section, it would be possible-to have two parts of similar size and shape with the expansible apparatus positioned therebetween.

Although the use of an inflatable tube as described and illustrated herein is presently preferred in carrying out my invention it is nevertheless possible-to use other types of expansible apparatus. For example, a threaded shaft may be utilized which is mounted in substantially the same position herein. illustrated for inflatable tube 20 and having one end extending through vertical strip 16 with an exposed driving head by which the shaft can be rotated with a wrench or other suitable tool. A pair of oppositely disposed cam members are fastened onthe lower side of beam 25 at opposite ends thereof, and a mating pair 'of cam members are fastened to threadedcollars which in turn threadedly engage the shaft and are supported thereby. Upon forcible rotation ofthe shaft the cam action forces both ends of the beam to rise upwardly simultaneously, although some self-adjustment can occur so that one end of the beam may rise further than the other end inorder to' conform to an irregular ceiling surface, if such should be encountered.

The form of my inventionillustrated in Figures 7, 8 is particularly useful as a panic wall for public buildings. Theatres, exposition buildings and other buildings which house large crowdsof people present a diflicult problem in providing means for the people to escape in event of fire. The solution iseasily provided by utilizing the push-button version of my invention to provide selected portions of the permanent walls; of the buildmg.

Althoughv my invention is fully capable of achieving the results and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it ismerely the presently preferred embodiment thereof, and that I do claim.

I claim:

A movable partition defined by aplurality of rectangular members sequentially disposed in abuttingqcontact between the floor surface and the ceiling surface of a building to provide a continuous fiat vertical surface, with each of said members including: a rectangular panel member having first and second vertical edges, and horizontal top and bottom edges, said panel member having a trough formed therein that extends downwardly from said top edge; means on said bottom edge for frictionally engaging said floor surface, interlocking means on said first and second edges respectively of said panel members in abutting contact with said panel member on which said interlocking means is disposed; an elongate inflatable tube disposed in said trough; an elongate movable beam of T-shaped transverse cross section, the vertically disposed portion of which beam is slidably disposed for vertical movement in said trough, the sides of said vertical portion being in abutting, slidable contact with the sides of said trough to prevent inadvertent displacement of said beam with respect to said rectangular panel member,

with the upper surface of the horizontal portion of said beam being adapted to pressure-contact said ceiling surface when said tube is inflated and said means on said bottom edge frictionally engage said floor surface, with the com bined height of said panel and said beam being less than the height between said floor and ceiling surfaces when said elongate tube is deflated; means for inflating said tube when said panel is vertically disposed to move said beam upwardly relative thereto to pressure-contact said ceiling surface, said inflatable means being substantially concealed in said I panel; and parallel molding strips attached to said beam that slidably engage the upper portion of opposite walls of. said panel member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 940,323 Jackson Nov. 16, 1909 1,752,101 Meutsch Mar. 25, 1930 2,443,548 Wilson June 15, 1948 2,681,483 Morawetz June 22, 1954 2,763,038 Hagerty Sept. 18, 1956 2,849,758 Plumley Sept. 2, 1958 2,877,875 Bolt Mar. 17, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 103,502 Australia 1938 1,089,634 France 1954 OTHER REFERENCES House and Home, September 1956, p. 132. 

